The Distant Past
by ChicksDigTheFuzzyDude
Summary: AU. Six old friends help a new generation understand their past. Sometimes, there are things we cannot explain. Love is among them. So is fear, and rage. You should never judge a person based on their actions unless you know the reason for them.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a mainly Mystique/Magneto centric fiction. An AU story, my take on how the Professor and Magneto met, as well as Magneto and Mystique. The six people mentioned here all seem to know each other. And I KNOW Mystique and Magda aren't sisters, but I say they are for the purposes of my twisted fiction. Reference to How Do I, with the roller-rink date. May do a one-shot specifically for that later. Disclaimer time! I don't own X-Men Evolution. If I did... oh, shoot. I ran out of ideas.

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Sometimes, there are things we cannot explain. Love is among them. So is fear, and rage. You should never judge a person based on their actions unless you know the reason for them. And sometimes, that reason can be found only in the distant past.

It had started a few months before, when Rouge and Kurt had last seen Mystique. They had judged her harshly for her actions towards them both, and she had angrily turned away from them. "How could you know my reasons? How could you ever know my reasons?" she had said, and had morphed into her namesake and flown off, leaving behind her children to ponder her words. The X-Men were sitting around the next morning, discussing their most recent battle when there had been a buzz outside. It had been answered by the Professor, who had told the person to come in. People, it turned out- Magneto and his Acolytes, Mystique and her Brotherhood. They had brought Moira MacTaggert with them, as well as Destiny and a strange woman in a long cloak and witches' hat who would introduce herself only as 'Hexmaster'. "We brought what you asked, Charles, but why would you need-" began Irene, but Charles held up a hand. "Come with me. All of you." They had all been led into the Danger Room, where the Professor had instructed them to sit down. He had then issued a peculiar request. "If your parents are here, please sit by them." There were mutterings of outrage from some, but eventually, Rahne and Moira were seated together, and the Maximoff twins were seated awkwardly on either side of their father. Kurt and Rouge were sitting next to Mystique, but drawn away from her enough for comfort. The Professor nodded and looked up. "Run program: Memoirs."

The room shifted around them, becoming a room with a single writing desk in it, and a young blue girl sitting there, writing in a journal. A disembodied voice easily recognizable as Mystique started up. "It's time you learned about us. Why we are who we are. And so, we will go back to where it all started for us: in Poland, almost 60 years ago." The scene shifted again, this time to outside of a small cottage in a little village. "Eric! Hurry inside, dear, it's almost dark!" called a woman from the doorway of the house. She was dressed simply, a peasant's wife. A small boy rushed past the seated audience, his white hair slightly blown back in the wind. He was only 4 years old, and he jumped into the open arms of a man who had come outside. "Did you have a good day, Eric?" asked the man in a deep, gravelly voice. "Yes, Papa!" squeaked the young Eric Lensherr. The small family embraced. The scene cut to later at night, and the seated Maximoffs could feel their father tense. Suddenly, a scream rent the air. The door slammed open, and they could see flickering flame. The tiny child stumbled out and took off running. They could hear the woman scream out, "Run, Eric!" and then she screeched again. The boy was chased by a crowd of people. "Find the little demon!" one of them called. Suddenly, the child was swept off his feet by a tall, well-built woman. "Don' touch mah skin, sugah!" she called out. They dashed through the streets and slid into a sewer, helped along by a thin, willowy man. The man lit a candle and the pair came into view: A woman who looked exactly like an older Rouge, but in Victorian clothes, and a man who looked a lot like Remy, but with a scraggly full beard and a large, three-cornered hat on. "Where... where's Mama and Papa?" asked the boy hopefully. The two traded sad glances. "Ah'm sorreh, Sugah. They won' be comin' back foh ya anymoah." said the woman, putting an arm around the boy. He looked up at her in horror and collapsed, sobbing. The woman held him to her shoulder. The scene cut back to the blank room with the desk, and Raven's voice spoke again. "And then there was one."

"One child out of what would be six. Six children the traveling pair took in. Their names were Annaleise D'Encanto and Fiore LeBeau. They were mutants, looking for orphans, taking them in. Their next destination was back in America." The scene cut to a normal-looking street, with a young boy playing with a ball. He had long, wavy blonde hair and intelligent brown eyes. He looked up at the sound of a woman's voice and came in, bringing the ball with him. He was greeted by a tall, slender woman with long brown hair and laughing eyes. She held a tiny baby in her arms. "Go wash up for dinner, Charles, and then come help me set the table." she called after the boy as he rushed in. They could barely hear the reply before the scene cut again, this time to a street corner, where the boy ran straight into the woman. Annaleise picked him up and ran, calling out the same warning. They ended up in a cavern under a riverbank this time, and the boy looked up at her. "They killed my parents." he whispered, shocked. She nodded and the young Charles sat down heavily, not really crying, but staring off into space. A hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to see Eric standing over him. "You'll forgive them eventually. The normal people don't understand us. You can't blame them. I'm Eric, by the way, but you can call me Rick if you wanna." The blonde grimaced. "I hate the humans. I hate them all. Nice to meet you, Rick. Charles Xavier. Call me Chuck." Eric laughed. "We're all just humans, Chuck. No matter what we can do. It's silly to hate yourself." The room again, and the girl, and the voice. "And then there were two. Eric, the natural leader, the strong, dependable one. And Charles, the brains, the only one who would fulfill the dream they hatched between them. Eric's dream. A dream of a school where mutant children could go to be safe, to learn to control their powers."

"The next stop was in Scotland, where Charles would meet his true best friend." The scene, a tiny house on a goat pasture, where a miniature redhead watched over the flock. A man with a thick beard watched her from a window and grinned. "Ye ready ta cuim in, lassie? It's gittin maightei cold oot thar." The girl ran inside gratefully. The scene cut to them man being dragged away and the girl being chased. The woman scooped the girl up, and this time they were in a sheep pasture. The girl was sobbing. The blond put his arms around her and she collapsed into them. "Moira MacTaggert. The scientist of the group. Sweet and innocent." rang the voice of the shapeshifter. "There were three then. Their ventures took them next to England, where a young blind soothsayer found herself in a considerable amount of trouble." A little girl with her eyes bandaged came out of a tent, running, panting hard. She was scooped up and screamed in fear, but when she reached a small cave in the side of a hill and was put down, she quieted, especially when a group of cautious children surrounded her. Introductions were made, and Irene Adler was helped to her feet by her new 'siblings'. "Four... two left, siblings living in Germany. One of which had a rather interesting 'problem'." A townhouse in Germany, not far from where Kurt grew up, was their destination. Two girls, one who looked suspiciously like Wanda, and the other bundled up in a cloak, dashed up to the door. A woman opened it and smiled. "How vas school today, girls?" she asked. The two girls answered in unison, "Good, Tante Raven!" and ran inside. Suddenly it was dark, and the girls could be heard screaming. The door slammed open, and the mini-Wanda ran out, dragging her sister by the hand. The girl had been uncloaked, and her blue skin glimmered in the light from the torches of nearby men. Her amber eyes flashed in fear. "Magdalena, I'm scared!" she said quietly. "Just a bit further to the river, Branwen!" called the girl, Magdalena. They reached a rather familiar bridge, and were about to jump when they were grabbed from behind. They reached an abandoned warehouse and they were sat down. "Whoo... well, that makes what, six now, Fiore?" asked Annaliese. Fiore laughed. "Come out an' meet the new arrivals, petits." Children seemed to pop out of nowhere, running forward to greet the sisters. Little Branwen was sobbing, her red hair covering her face. She felt someone brushing her hair away and looked up into Eric's eyes. "Hey, don't cry! Who are you?" The black-haired girl spoke up. "I'm Magda Darkholme, and this is my sister..." The other spoke up. "Raven. Call me Raven." Mystique's voice spoke again. "We were the last. Fiore and Annaleise went back to the Louisiana bayou after that, and raised us until we were 9, and I was 8. For then there were 6."

"It was then, on one of our family road trips, that they found us." The scene shifted to a road through a forest, along which an old car was traveling. Suddenly, two easily recognizable men jumped out, stopping the car. Annaleise got out and smiled enthusiastically. "Logan! Oh, it's so good to see you again!" she said, embracing one of the men. The taller one sent a sneer at the children, who had been peeking up over the back of the front seats. They quickly hid. "So, what's the problem?" asked Annaliese. Logan smiled apologetically. "You need clearance... hey, what's with the troupe?" he asked, pointing at the children, who were again peeking. They ducked back down and he laughed. Annaleise gestured at the door, which he opened. "C'mon out... I won't bite, and I'll keep Victor there from biting you too hard." Sabretooth snarled. The children climbed out, one by one, and introduced themselves to the man. "I'm James Logan, and that's my brother Victor." said Wolverine, smiling down at the kids. "We're friends of your mother's." Annaleise took his hand in her gloved one. "We're actually here because of them... for their powers. Do you think you'd be able..." "To train them?" asked Logan, finishing her train of thought. She nodded. Logan sighed heavily. "They'd be part of the Weapon X program, you know... and I wouldn't be in command. I lost that position a while ago. But I think they'd let me work with the kids..." Annaleise practically jumped on him to hug him. He let out an 'oof!' of surprise, and hugged her back. They separated, and she got back into the car. "You'll be staying here for a while. Listen to Logan!" she called out, and they were gone, leaving six dumbfounded children in their wake. "We were a part of Weapon X. Eventually, we would gain a team name. We worked so well together that we were always sent on missions together. We became known as the X-Men." came Raven's voice. They saw the inside of a training room, oddly similar to the Danger Room itself, and six kids around twelve years old battling a simulation. One, obviously the leader, had his white hair pulled back in a ponytail and a staff in one hand. "Rae, jump!" he called, and they saw a blue girl with her red hair in pigtails jump up, keeping one hand on her crossbow and shooting from the air. Charles took out one of the arms reaching for him with a sword, and Irene pulled him out of the way with a whip. Moira's eyes glowed green, and a turret near her began firing on its companions. She also took the time to shoot out one of the arms reaching towards Charles with a gun. Suddenly, Magda called out, "Everybody duck!" They did so, and she slammed down the wooden staff she carried, sending out a familiar burst of red energy. The smoke cleared to reveal the room with Raven and her desk again.

"Training wasn't all we did. We were normal students in the local school. It was close to the end of the year when we had our first big dance." said her voice, and the scene became a school hallway. A young boy with thick-rimmed gasses and a bad combover stood outside an open locker, twiddling his thumbs. The locker shut to reveal a humanized Raven, with what looked like Kurt's image inducer shining on her wrist. "You vanted to ask me somezing, Eddie?" she asked sweetly. "Y-yeah, Rae." he said nervously. "I-I was wondering if y-you w-wanted to..." The locker behind him slammed open of its own accord, sending him flying across the hall. People from all around laughed. Eric was leaning against a locker on Raven's other side, grinning. "Wonder how that happened?" he said, which was greeted by more laughter from the other students. "Oh, Rae? You wanna go to the dance with me?" She grinned at him. "Sure! Vhy not?" This was met by groans of disappointment all around. Edward Kelly stood from the pile of books and paers he was under and glared at Eric. "Stupid mutant freak!" he spat. Raven immediately froze and turned a look on him that could melt anyone's heart. She looked like a kicked puppy. "Oh! Crud! No, Rae, I didn't mean..." She pushed him back over and ran off, sobbing. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, Kelly!" he said to himself, banging his head on the locker. It flew open and hit him in the face. "Darn those faulty lockers!" said Eric innocently. The scene switched to a dimly lit gym, with Eric and Raven dancing together and smiling happily. Magda and Edward looked on jealously. Eric whispered something in her ear and she giggled. The scene became a roller rink, with the pair sitting at a table. Eric slipped something on her hand. "This is gonna sound weird, but I was wondering if you... wanted to be my girl, Rae." he asked, and Raven smiled. "Of course, Eric. I... Ich leibe dich." she whispered. The room materialized again, and the girl paused in her writing to fiddle with the ring on her hand. "We started as siblings, but... eventually, more came of it. I don't know how, or why, but I fell in love with him. We... we should take a break. Go get something to eat, take a bathroom break... you know." The room dissipated, and the lights came back on. Mystique rose silently and glided out, coming back with drinks and popcorn. She repositioned herself closer to Eric and rested a hand on his, fiddling with the ring on her thumb.


	2. Chapter 2

The past is a mysterious thing. It is full of twists, turns, heartbreak, joy, amazement, and overwhelming pain. It is the one thing that is permanent and unshakable, and though many of us wish we could change it, we cannot. All we can do, all we can ever do, is remember. Our past follows us like a shadow, spinning tales of misery and woe, love and laughter, like glittering trails behind us.

* * *

There was silence in the room, and not a whisper was heard as the Danger Room whirred to life again, and cold metal was replaced by pure white, and a girl sitting at a desk, as before. "Eric and I were in love all through high school. But then, the year I turned 16, something happened none of us, not even Irene, could have foreseen. The world was attacked by a powerful mutant... named Apocalypse." The scene blurred and shifted to a group of teens suiting up. Black jumpsuits had been replaced with black-and-yellow outfits with the 'X' symbol on the front. They dashed down the hall to a hangar, where a very familiar jet was waiting for them. "Hop aboard, kiddos," said Logan, gesturing to the Blackbird. They did so, and Logan sat down facing them. "This ain't like anything you've ever faced before. This guy is more powerful than any stray mutant we've fought, and more resilient than even Frankie Dukes." Raven scoffed and flipped her hair. "That's a pretty tall order." Logan growled lightly, and her hands went to her lap. "We'll use all the tricks in our book." said Eric firmly. The Bird landed. The six teens looked back at Logan while climbing out, and he nodded at them in confirmation. The silent message: If we don't make it, you know what to do.

Apocalypse, in all his blue-skinned glory, stood in the middle of a huge, barren field. Mesmero stood to one side, as thin and wiry as ever, but considerably younger. The six friends stood facing him, their expressions determined. "Well. Look what they send to fight me. A group of children..." Eric extended his staff with a sharp snap. Raven had her crossbow out, Charles unsheathed his swords, Irene uncoiled her whip, Moira popped a gun out of its holster, and Magda twirled her staff with professional skill. These were hardened warriors. Apocalypse laughed. "Come, children. We will see what you can do!" And, with that, he attacked.

The battle raged for hours, with the group landing hit after devastating hit to the ancient mutant, but nothing working. Apocalypse was beating them severely, and Raven flew backwards, landing hard on her arm. She screeched. Eric sent one final shard at the blue mutant before whirling and zipping through the air to Raven's side. He rode an improvised hoverboard made out of his staff. He sat her up against a rock and zipped off again, as Raven readied her crossbow one-handed. She held it up, panting heavily, and shot Apocalypse... right in the eye. He roared in pain and she dropped her crossbow, her head dropping to one side. Eric delivered a brutal kick to his midsection, and Charles got under his feet, tripping him and sending him backwards into the strange pyramid-like machine that had appeared about halfway through the battle. There was a shout of rage, a blinding light, and Apocalypse was gone. The five X-Men turned and looked at Mesmero, who screamed and ran off. They picked up Raven and headed back to the meeting area.

Logan was waiting for them, pacing anxiously, and broke into a wide smile when he saw them come in. Victor scooped up Raven and took her down to Medical, as the others sat down, exhausted. The scene changed again, to a group of college-age students waving at a video camera and laughing. "We had triumphed over Apocalypse, but now came our greatest challenge yet: college. We were... insane. Completely insane." said Raven wistfully. They cut to the group dancing wildly, Eric and Raven jumping on a dorm bed and bashing one another with pillows, Charles sneaking off just as Magda could be heard yelling, "WHO PUT BLUE DYE IN MY SHAMPOO?" and many other crazy college antics. Finally, they showed all of them throwing their mortarboards joyously into the air and cheering wildly. Later, they all sat in Raven and Irene's room, eating a pizza together. "You know, since we're not going to see each other much after college, what with our different jobs and all, maybe we should do something so we can remember each other. You know?" said Charles, and the other chorused their agreement. "We should make some sort of pact, some unbreakable promise that'll bind us all together!" piped up Magda.

"Alright... I vow to never use my telekinesis again." said Charles with a smirk, trying to see if his roommates would take him up on it. "Hey, I'll get rid of my staff," said Eric with a shrug. "I'll never show my real form again." said Raven with a small smile. "I'll never use my powers again... at all." said Moira, earning a few murmurs. "I'll stop my eyedrops... and let myself go completely blind." said Irene. Magda smiled mischievously. "I... will disappear completely." she said. "You will not see or hear from me again... oh, and Eric?" "Yes?" he said, sounding bored. "I'm pregnant." She disappeared in a flash of light, leaving a bewildered Eric and an infuriated Raven behind.

The scene shifted back to Raven, shaking her fist in anger. "I could have killed him! He told me time after time that he loved me, and then he went and got my sister- _my sister, _mind you- pregnant. I ran off and didn't see the others again until much later." The scene became a small castle in Germany, where screams could be heard from the north tower. They saw the top of the tower and Raven clutching a crying baby to her chest, while a little girl huddled in the corner. A man pointed at her. "Dämon!" he cried. "Nein!" responded Mystique, but the man reached out and ripped the baby from her, holding up the pitiful, wriggling bundle of fur in one hand. With the other, he thrust a knife at the child. "Monster! What have you done to him?!" screamed Mystique. She grabbed the child, now wailing even more piteously, grabbed the young girl's hand with her free one, and ran. "Come back at once!" yelled the man. She reached the outside, but wolves soon followed her, and she tripped just as she reached a bridge. The baby flew from her arms. "No--no! Aah!" she screamed, and, grabbing the girl tightly with one arm, she dove off the bridge herself, morphing large batlike wings. She snatched the child from midair and held him close as they plummeted into the river.

Wet and bedraggled, the trio reached shore, the girl now crying as well as the baby. "Annie, Annie... Hush, my love." said Raven, drawing the sopping wet toddler close and hugging her. "Aunty, I'm scared!" she sobbed. "I know, Annie." said the woman, rocking the baby slightly. "Me too." "I wanna go home!" wailed the girl. "Annie, hush, my Annie, my little rogue." the woman whispered. "We can't go home now. We've got nowhere to go to..." The girl looked up, teary-eyed. "Where will we go then?" she sniffled.

The doorbell rang and a man opened the door. "Raven? Is that you, Lord, you're soaking wet!" said Eric, surprised as a man can be after waking up at three in the morning to an old friend and her two children, all of them wet. "Eric... would you give an old friend room for the night?" she begged. "Certainly... is this who I think it is?" he asked, bending down to the girl, who hid behind Raven's leg. "Oh, don't be afraid, little miss. I have two kids about your age that I'm sure you'd like playing with." At that moment, a tiny voice sounded. "Daddy?" Eric turned to find a pair of children, a white-haired little boy and a dark-haired girl, standing there rubbing their eyes. "We heared the doorbell... so we came to find out who's here." said the boy sleepily. "Heard, Pietro. It's 'heard', not heared." Pietro went over to his father, Wanda trailing behind, and Eric picked them up. They snuggled close. "This is your Auntie Raven... and your cousin Annie, and... I haven't met this one yet." He smiled down at the tiny bundle of fluff, who peered back at him. "This is Kurt." supplied Raven, smiling down on her son.

The three toddlers were in bed, and Kurt was on a small, sterile lab table while Eric inspected his arm. "The stab wound isn't too bad... I'll sew it up once he's asleep and I can give him the shots he needs." Raven hugged him fiercely, and he smiled. "It's good to see you again, Rae. I hope you'll stay." She smiled up at him, laughter in her eyes. "I would like that. I would like that very much."


End file.
